Oil gas generator



Feb. 7, 1933. 5.15 BUSSEY 1,896,220

OIL GAS GENERATOR Original Filed Oct. 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Feb. 7, 1933. E E BUSSEY 1,896,220

OIL GAS GENERATOR Original Filed Oct. 12, 1926 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EVERETT E. BUSSEY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BUSSEY FUEL GASIFIER CORP., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE OIL GAS GENERATOR Application filed October 12, 1926, Serial No. 141,229. Renewed June 18, 1932.

This invention relates to a gasifier and more particularly to an apparatus for gasifying fuel oil vapors for use in combustion engines either of the internal or external type. As commonly employed the fuel used in combustion engines consists in a mixture of raw gas and air in predetermined proportions. Due, however, to the condition of the fuel in this form only a small part thereof, is actually utilized for power due to its imperfect combustion, resulting as is well understood in carbon deposits and the dilution of the lubricant employed in the cylinders and other parts of the engine or motor. For

this reason it has been difficult and commercially impractical to operate combustion engines with liquid fuels which are not of a readily volatile nature. I am aware that heretofore in order to improve the efliciency of operation of the engine attempts have been made to preheat the fuel. In some instances this has been more or less successful, but it has been found that after a predetermined temperature has been reached in the use of certain fuels the further preheating has been detrimental rather than beneficial. I am convinced that the trouble with such attempts has been caused by not preheating the fuel oil vapors to a sufiiciently high temperature and this no doubt is because of the difficulties in adequately utili zing the exhaust gases for preheating purposes.

As a result of numerous experiments I have found that by utilizing the exhaust gases the vapors of any fuel oil irrespective of its volatility may be heated and otherwise treated so as to convert the same into a substantially fixed dry non-condensable oil as which gives substantially complete comustion which thereby eliminates the troubles due to incomplete combustion, and at the same time is capable of producing the same or a. greater amount of power at a materially reduced cost irrespective of the nature of the. liquid fuel employed. In carrying out my invention the gasifier preferably consists of inner and outer casings with means for heating the inner casing preferabl by the utilization of exhaust gases, means or passing fuel oil vapors to and from the inner casing, and dividing, mixing, heating, and scrubbing or cleansing these fuel oil vapors while within the inner casing so as to convert the fuel oil vapors into a substantially fixed dry and nonc ondensable gas. To this end at the present time I fill the inner casing with metallic wool which has thus far been found the most satisfactory material for accomplishing the purposes of this invention, although there may be other substances with which equally good results may be obtained. In some instances, 111 order to increase the power developed by the motor to which the gaseous fuel is supplied and to increase the efficiency of the motor, it may be advisable in some instances to add steam or other moist vapor to the fixed gas and to this end a suitable connection may lfoie made with the outlet pipe from In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation taken on line 1-1, Fig. 2, and

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken on line 2-2 Fig. 1.

In the apparatus as illustrated it will be seen that in carrying out the invention the gasifier made in accordance therewith comprises a two part casing, the parts whereof are placed one within the other. The outer casing is indicated at 10 and the inner casing is indicated at 11, and these members are so placed as to provide a compartment 12 between the outer casing 10 and the inner casing 11, and a compartment 13 within the inner casing 11. In a suitable position in one of the walls of the outer casing there is an inlet port 14 which by means of a suitable pipe 15 is connected to the exhaust of a combustion engine. This as will be understood may be made part of or connected with the exhaust manifold or directly to the exhaust ports or otherwise. As shown in Fig. 1 that portion of the compartment 12 adjacent the exhaust gas inlet may be provided with a transverse wall 16 for purposes hereinafter indicated and the wall in the outer casing made to terminate immediately below the exhaust inlet as indicated at 17 In another wall of the outer casing and in a suitable position therein there is an exhaust outlet inthe gasidicated at 18. This is connected by a pipe 19 with another part of the exhaust manifold or an exhaust of any nature. The apparatus as illustrated is preferably rectangular and the walls of the inner casing lie within the walls of the outer casing on five sides thereof, while the bottom wall of the apparatus is common to both the inner and outer casings.

T Extending through oppositely disposed walls of the inner casing and preferably in alignment with the inlet port 14 and the connection 15 for the exhaust gases thereto, there are series of spaced tubes 21 forming conduits through which the exhaust gases pass to heat thecompartment Within the inner casing, it being noted that the heat trans.- fer is outwardly in the natural order of heat transmission instead of inwardly as is often satisfactory results.

the case in devices of this general type. In the bottom wall there is an inlet port 22. This is connected by a pipe 23 with the outlet from .a carburetor or other similar apparatus, not shown. The port 22 leads to a chamber 24 formed by walls 25 which terminate in a rectangular discharge passage 26. The orifice 27 is adjacentthe top of the inner compartment so that the fuel oil vapors from the carburetor are admitted at the bottom of the inner compartment conveyed through the chamber 24 and passage 28 and are admitted to the inner compartment 13 at the top thereof. Also in a suitable position one of the walls of the inner chamber is provided with a port 28 connected by a pipe 29 which leads to an intake manifold or directly to the intake ports of a combustion engine. It will now be seen that the side of the outer casing in which the port 1e isprovided is shorter than the other sides in order to provide for the port 28 and the connection therefrom and also to provide in conjunction with the transverse wall 16 a means for directing theexhaust gases into the pipes or tubes 21. Within the inner compartment 13 and surrounding the tubes 21' I employ a packing of metallic wool as indicated at 30. This packing substantially fills the compartment within the inner casing. While it may be possible to employ other metals, I have found that either steel or nickel will produce One of the sides of the outershell is provided in a suitable position with an exteriorly threaded flange 31 adapted to receive a screw cap 32. .The cap 32 is fitted with a tubular member 33 which may be connected thereto by an angle 34 or otherwise and which is adapted to' contain an auxiliary heater element preferably comprising a coil 35 wound on a core 36 of insulating or other suitable material. One of the leads to the coil as indicatedat 37' is placed on the ex- .terior of the core and theother lead 38 extends longitudinally through the core, both the leads passing through an opening 39 provided therefor in the cap 32 so as to be connected to any desired source of electrical en- Til the operation of the apparatus as hereinbefore described, the exhaust gases are conveyed directly or by way of the pipe 15 to the port 14 by which they enter a part of the compartment 12 between the inner and outer shells of the gasifier. These hot exhaust gases are directed through the'tubes-21 and permitted to circulate in the chamber 'or compartment 12 to heat the tubes in order that the heat may be transmitted therefrom to the particles or strands of the metallic wool which also become highly heated by this transmission of the heat from the exhaust gases. The exhaust gases by circulating in the compartment 12 also maintain the outer shell at a relatively high temperature, and as will be understood also heat the walls of the inner shell so that a part of the heat from the heated inner shell is transmitted to the compartment l3 and to the particles of metallic wool.

The exhaust gases are permittedto escape through the port 18 to the exhaust pipe 19 which as hereinbefore stated may be returned to the-exhaust manifold or disposed of in any other suitable manner. The fuel oil vapors from a carburetor are conveyed through the pipe 23 to the chamber 24 and in starting the apparatus these vapors are heated initially in this chamber by means of the heating 'coil 35 which as will be understood may be placed in any suitable location rather than adjacent the bottom of the ap paratus as indicated in the drawings. These vapors are initially heated by the heating coil to a temperature suflicient to permit an engine or motor to be easily started, and when the engine is inoperation the initial heat coil is shut off and the exhaust gases utilized as hereinbefore described. The fuel oil vapors then pass from the chamber- 24-through the passage 26 and are admitted to the inner compartment 13 where these fuel oil vapors are divided and sub-divided into minute parwith an opening and a boss by which a pipe 10 or other similar connection may be made forthe purpose of supplying steam or other moistvapor to the gas as it leaves the gasifier in order to increase the power and efiiciency of the engine to which the gas is supplied. I claim as my invention: i

1. An oil gas generator, comprising in combination, an outer casing, an inner casing forming an oil gasifying chamber, a plurality of tubes extending through the inner casing, means for directing hot exhaust gases to and through the tubes to heat the inner casing, means including a conduit extending upwardly into the inner casing for directing oil vapors thereto, an auxiliary electrical heater in the lower portion of the generator for heating the inlet oil vapors, a acking of metallic wool surrounding the tu es and substantially filling the inner casing so as to be heated thereby and to convert the fuel oil vapors therein into a fixed oil gas, and means for conveying the gas from the inner casing.

2. An oil gas generator, comprising in combination, an outer casing, an inner casing forming an oil gasifying chamber, a plurality of tubes extending through the inner casing, means for directing hot exhaust gases to and through the tubes to heat the inner casing, means including a conduit extending upwardly into the inner casing for directing oil vapors thereto, an auxiliary electrical heater in the lower portion of the generator for heating the inlet oil vapors, a packing surrounding the tubes and substantially filling the inner casing so as to be heated thereby and to convert the fuel oil vapors therein into a fixed oil gas, and means for conveying the gas from the inner casing.

Signed by me this 29th day of September,

EVERETT E. BUSSEY. 

